Embrace Your Inner Weird

God bless the Misfit. Only artists are unafraid to go out there and shamelessly create a scene just for the sake of spectacle. Hank Dietle's Tavern will be stranger than fiction this Saturday night when Atomic Mosquitos and The Yachtsmen take over the space between the pool table and the front door.  Appearances aside, expect original surf music and kick ass rock and roll. Giant fly swatters and ascots encouraged.  No cover.

photo by Peter Krogh

Once Upon a Moon

The Summer Solstice arrived this week by the light of a full Strawberry Moon, and I hope you all were paying attention because this phenomenon might not happen again until the year 2062. Poking around cyber space though, I am learning that calculating the direct hits and near misses seems to be a tricky business. The folks at Earth/Sky indicate the last occurrence was during the Summer of Love in 1967.

while the  Old Farmer's Almanac points to 1948 which seems to be the Summer of the Polaroid Land Camera.

In any case it's a seldom seen event which reminds me... The Seldom Scene - DC's answer to non-traditional bluegrass-will be out and about tonight at Nottaway Park and throughout the summer. (Check their website for schedule.)

Although all of the original members of the band have moved onto different realms or phases in their lives, the torch is being carried forward by top flight musicians devoted to preserving a DC institution.

Hazy Cosmic Jive

I confess. I tuned out of commercial radio many moons ago when the increasingly frequent ads started driving me up a tree. Now I rarely stray from WAMU or WPFW because I am an old dog that can adapt to only so many new tricks. Like computers.  I know you can get a subscription or some other device in your car, but my radio is so old it has a cassette player.
Hey, remember the days when you pulled the button on your car radio all the way out, dialed in your favorite station, then pushed it back in to keep it there? I could handle that. Of course when you borrowed your parents' car you had to leave it on their stations like WMAL with Harden and Weaver or WTOP with Paul Harvey.  Or maybe WINX. All on the AM dial, of course. But coming of age for many of us meant WHFS, the radio station we might miss the most here in DC ROCKS land. Back then radio employees (and sometimes friends)  were allowed to bring out their "on air" personalities and musical preferences. If a band was coming through town, they would drop in for a chat. Now there are still listening choices- maybe more than ever- but I'm a bit slow to catch on to things like "streaming" and "pod casts."

This week though DC ROCKS reader Bill Wachtell turned me on to a pod cast called the "Last Gasp Radio" which features music and interviews from a former denizen of WTGB. (Right now- thanks to the miracle of technology- I'm listening to Abaad Behram tell true tall tales of his life with Razz and Reidy.) Also, if you want to rocket yourself further back in time, this Wednesday down at Shaw Library, some of the 'HFS deejays, including Cerphe and Weasel, will be slinging stories and showing  clips of the "Feast Your Ears" movie at this month's meeting of the DC Music Salon.

P.S. Reader Debbie Deb reminded me you can catch Weasel onWTMD 89.7 on Friday evenings at 7 p.m. with encore broadcast on Saturday at noon. She also recommends the Dirty Soul Party on Saturday nights at 9 p.m.

The New Way Back Machine

Always a party waiting to happen, the Vi-Kings bring their psychedelic and groovy vibes to Villain and Saint this Saturday night on the edge of the planet known as Bethesda.

C and O Rocks

The C and O Canal has always been a part of my life. When I was two or three years old, my mother used to take me to feed bread crusts to the ducks near Great Falls.  These weren't wild birds but gynormous white creatures which definitely added a fear factor to the thrill of the expedition.

On winter days my friends and I kept a close eye on the thermometer studying the stats like the scores in a ball game. Below freezing for a few days? Then time to cruise along Canal Road or out to Swain's Lock to check out how thick the ice was for skating. And in summer you could rent a row boat or a canoe.

Our canal has been around since George Washington wanted to float things upriver in 1785. After much hemming and hawing, ground breaking finally happened July 4, 1828,  replete with John Quincy Adams attending, but the project was a goner from the git go.  The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad would reach Cumberland first demoting the canal to obsolete though it took quite a while to wind down.

The Swain family of Swain's Lock lived in the lock house until relatively recently- surviving both the Johnstown flood in 1889,  Hurricane Agnes in 1972, and the transition of the canal to the National Park service in 1938 which looks after the towpath we know today.

The C & O  Canal also strikes a chord with former hometown boys Eric Brace and Peter Cooper- so much so they named their latest project after it. The album is a tribute to this area's rich vein of songwriting and music clubs and covers a lot of local history- geographical as well as social. Emmy Lou Harris, Bill Danoff, the Seldom Scene and the Rosslyn Mountain Boys are all represented bringing back memories of places like the Red Fox Inn, Gallagher's, the Cellar Door and the Birchmere. All scenes where Eric and Peter found their spark. Come see what it's all about at their CD release party at  Jammin Java this Friday. All ages $15.

Thinkin' Lincoln

At Lincoln's Cottage with the President, unknown groom, and pick pocket.

Dear Readers

Some of you know that DC ROCKS morphed from my first site -Washington, DC  My Hometown -where I first started this experiment in cyber land. More often than not, DC ROCKS has grabbed the lion share of my very short attention span so I have neglected posting over yonder, but while pondering Memorial Day weekend,  I got back on the horse so to speak and penned a few thoughts which landed here.

Hell Bent to Party

Growing up I thought I'd never forget certain events in my life even though new memories were storming the castle every day. Now I suspect when I'm not paying attention, my brain drop kicks piles of stuff to the back of a very dark closet. My fifth birthday party? Gone. First date? Think it might have been bowling. Later in college at UMD, I remember frequenting many a smoke filled bar on Route 1 and watching a lot of live bands rock through, both on and off campus, but only Root Boy Slim sticks in my memory right now. He played the old Back Grill. (Or was it the Back Room?)

Enter my fellow Terp, Jeff Krulik. Leave it to him to think of filming the parking lot party before a Judas Priest show at the Capital Centre in late May 1986.  He and fellow film maker John Heyn somehow captured the essence of this zany little scene where everyone held Budweisers instead of cell phones and "punk belonged on Mars, man." Over the years, this project has cask aged into the vault of cult film. Who knew it would last longer than the Capital Centre itself?

The 30th anniversary of "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" will be celebrated this Friday with an exhibit opening at the Clarice Center. The party- I mean event- will include a screening of the film, discussions, music and items from UMD's newly acquired  "Jeff Krulik Collection."

Wow. Congratulations, dude.

Free- though reservations recommended. More details here.

Heads UP Old School Art Rockers

This Saturday night something rarer than a blue moon is going on at The Katzen Arts Center up at American U. Kevin MacDonald's art may still be hanging quietly on the walls, but the room is about to get a lot louder.  People you may not have seen for years and years will be crawling out of the woodwork to play music together for this one off event. And my sources tell me this might be the last time The Urban Verbs are reunited. Plus look for Kim Kane out without a leash. This can't be anything but a very memorable, unrepeatable  night.

A gallery talk discussing Kevin's work will precede the music starting at 6 pm. The wild rumpus begins at 7:30.

A Downbeat Lost

Sad news again in the DC rock world this week with the loss of Michael Mariotte. We knew him as the drummer for Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, but Michael was also an award winning activist who worked tirelessly at NIRS to keep this planet in tact. His first wife Lynn Thorp told me she really liked this piece written by Michael's good friend Arun from Antioch days.

A gathering will be held  in Michael's honor at Busboys and Poets tomorrow, May 19,  in Hyattsville, MD from 4-8 p.m. All are welcome.
Please expect to dance.

Farewell

photo by Ryan Holloway

This week DC ROCKS feels a little blue. The city is water logged from absorbing a record breaking streak of showers, and people say it's been raining since Prince died. But also, over the weekend, we lost a rock star closer to our own sodden back yards.  John Stabb was the consistent life force behind the hardcore band Government Issue. He was big fish thrashing about in DC's little punk pond and a hard act to follow.

Although his music was loud and wild, my best memory of John is a quiet one. A few years ago, I went to see one of his later bands at a local rock hole I can't quite recall. What I do remember is Mister Stabb, tall and thin as always, alone on stage. There was a thin chain hanging just above his head which he first regarded thoughtfully and then, ever so slowly and deliberately, he reached up and gave it a gentle pull. When the light bulb turned on over his head, you would have thought it was the first time this had happened to anyone. After appreciating the magic of light, he just as simply and wittingly turned it off. And then on again. And off again. On.....and off. Masterfully John turned a mundane act into a tiny moment of theater and joy which still makes me smile.

So long then to another sweet soul. Your light will be missed.

Get His Back

Hey, you youngins who wish you were older backs you could have been there for  the olden days of punk- go see this show and support an original who is in trouble now.  Black Cat is an all ages venue!

Grin If You Remember

I've noticed lately that cyber-land seems to have a space for everyone's madness- especially things nostalgic. DC has its own microcosms with groups from the vague...

"You Know You Grew-up in Washington DC If You Remember"

to the more specific...

"Psyche Delly Bethesda"

to the micro focused...

"Nightclub 9:30 (9:30 Club) Old School F Street Location Fans Unite."

But I think there should a squad called:

 "If You Grew Up Anywhere Near Bethesda Then You Have A Story About Nils Lofgren."

Nils is our "George Washington Slept Here" of rock n roll. Back in the day, he played every party and lived in more group houses than Abbie Hoffman. When I moved into my grandmother's house in the 1980s,  the left over hippies next door told me he used to practice there. "White Lies?" Maybe. But a lot of us knew who he was, and even more knew the band Grin which was relatively short lived, but long in local legend.

For those of you who feel like "Goin Back" (and for those who have no idea what I am talking about) Friday night the music will come alive again at Bethesda Blues under the banner of a Newmyer Flyer tribute show. Original backbone of the band (and another DC legend) Bob Berberich will be on drums playing with Tom Lofgren and other brothers (not Nils.. although we could start that  rumor now.)

Full details here.

Move the Party Indoors

What's with the unusually cool and wet weather?  Because the world is all about me, I will tell you.
First off, I love rainy weather. Give me cloudy and gray over hot sunshine any day of the summer and a lot of the spring. But this Sunday is Easter, and the long, gaily festooned table I envisioned out in the yard is in deep jeopardy. (For those a bit bewildered- this man will explain.) (Warning: not for vegetarians)

I will wait and hope the weather wags are wrong, but meanwhile if you need an indoor event, there's a lot of brass going on with Slavic Soul Party at IOTA Friday playing with  DC's own Black Masala and Big Mama Shakes.

I am not going to mention King Soul at Hank Dietle's Saturday because that is just going to be insane. Hopefully it won't rain on that parade.

He's Got My Vote

Check out DC raised Owen Danoff. He's got it. Here's his TV audition of "Don't Think Twice" which pretty much bowled me over....

Inferno

This Friday night Dave Chappell and Dan Hovey will be at JVs doing their "Lord of the Strings" thing. Since these guys are both such hot guitar players, I thought it would be funny to look up exactly where the nearest fire station is to the venue. Google maps at the ready with the option to "search nearby," I type in "JVs Restaurant."
 Should be a cinch, right?

First attempt: "fire station." I get a pub in Silver Spring, Maryland. ( JVs is in VIRGINIA, mind you, but that's okay, I just need to think a little bit harder.

This time I try "rescue squad." Up pops the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. A fine outfit indeed, but still in Maryland. Closer to what I had in mind though.

Shaking off thoughts of hunky guys in fire gear, I check out the drop down menu for the word " "fire." I get:

fire station

fireplace store

fire hydrant

fireworks

firearms

I know its early, but which one would you pick?

Call me obvious but I thought I'd go for the hydrant and call it a day.

I get DC Water.

No matter where the people are who will save you from the flames sparking out from Dan and Dave's nimble fingers, I highly recommend this show. I am not a fan of the endless noodle, but these guys' guitar porn is for anyone who has an appreciation for music featuring soul over technique- although in this case you get both.  I can't even find a picture of the two of them in one shot, but enough with the google.

Joining Dan and Dave are Jan Zukowski and Pete Ragusa. (think Nighthawks)
You won't even care that your hair is on fire.

Slim- We Hardly Knew Ye

photo by Robert Friedman

Here's a quick reminder about the Root Boy themed DC Music Salon tonight at Shaw Library (which some might have missed because I snuck it into a posting last week about Kevin MacDonald.)

And while we are sneaking things in, I'm reminded to remind you, dear readers, that those of you who get DC ROCKS via email, can't "see" what is on the constantly shifting sands of the DC ROCKS' calendar unless you hit the link (or hyper-link?) and "go there." Or fly there?

Never the less once you are "there," you can see the sidebar where all the gigs are that I wish I had time to time write about to - like the Harry Bells at Boundary Stone or The Thrillbillys' last minute gig tomorrow night opening for The Waco Brothers at IOTA.  Oh, and don't forget the Vi-Kings rare cross-river bending gig at JVs this Saturday night. Plenty to put on YOUR calendar.

Art Rock Revisited

True confession.  I missed the Kevin MacDonald art opening /happening at the Katzen Art Center last weekend because I had no idea it was happening. Contrary to what some people might think, I often have my head completely tucked under one wing if not in the sand.

The good news is, though we missed the party, the exhibit will be up through the end of May, and other events will happen here including an artist talk and concert. Do you remember Chris Murray's Govinda Gallery? He specialized in a sphere where art and famous musicians collide, and this show reminds me of that albeit the local version. Like musicians, we have an astounding stockpile of artists in this town, and sometimes they are the same person. This show is a must for all you old rockers and nostalgia hounds who remember the days when artists nestled between the peep shows downtown in places like the Lansburgh Building and the Atlantic which also housed the old 9:30 Club.

The companion show Teenage Twisted Plot gives a clever nod to MacDonald's involvement in music, and features many of his friends from a variety of bands including Urban Verbs, Root Boy Slim, Tiny Desk Unit, Razz and Slickees Boys.

And speaking of Root Boy- DC SALON is putting on a discussion/film preview at the Shaw Library next Wednesday April 13 titled, appropriately enough, "Boogie Til You Puke." But the subtitle? "The Forgotten Legend of Root Boy Slim?" Say it's not so.

Just Announced Slickee Boy Reunion

If We Can Sparkle

photo by Michael Ochs

Was "Starman" an autobiographical story about time travel? 


I, for one, wouldn't put it past him.


Would you?

Astrologic

Though it was a rough week here on the ground,  celestial objects calmly stayed the course. Earth bellied up to the Sun and brought back all things Spring on Sunday, and the very next day, Jupiter and its four moons joined the party, lumbering across the sky to hang out with our almost full moon.  One more lunar event - or should I say day of lunacy-will occur this Saturday night when I spy three different shows on the horizon.

Which one will you pick? Some of the conflict can be resolved if you belong to  the Virginia/ Maryland Equinox of Paranoia Society which prevents many of its members from crossing the River.  Clearly Glebe Road types will want to go for  Chess Club Romeos holding forth with a panoply of bands at IOTA. On the other side of the planet,  members for whom the word  "Pike" means Rockville, Jumpin' Jupiter, ironically a Virginia band, will be kicking out the walls at Hank Dietle's Tavern. 

And last but certainly not least on the Beltway orbit,  Martha Hull is planning a DC-PUHLOOZA to say good-bye to Jackie's Sidebar in Silver Spring. Musical history will be in abundance here including stars like the original Beatnik Flies, Bob Berberich (Grin and the Hangman) and  Bill Craig. (Razz)  Too many to list. You never know who is going to show up at a show like this, and that's the way we like it.